WANGANUI DISTRICT

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 190, 8 May 1937, Page 15

WANGANUI DISTRICT

Chilean Sawfly Colonies FEED PLENTIFUL BUT SOFT Winter has now undoubtedly arrived. Some of the weather country districts have experienced this week makes stock look cheap. Hump-backed cows, bedraggled ewes and miserable lambs; were they ever worth what we paid for them that sunny day at the sale? On Wednesday morning I drove through to Wanganui. It was cold, wet and windy. Rivers and creeks were in flood. One can make one use of such weather, ; and this is to go out and see the state of one’s drainage. Are the mole and tile drains running? Are there blockages in drains and creeks? On flat country where drains are essential these really should be cleaned as early as possible. If this job is left late they fill up and soaked ground is the result. Early cleaning keeps water flowing off, with the best of results. Passing through the cropping country from Bulls to Wangaehu, I noted a fair amount of ploughing. One large paddock, with furrows running to the road, looked a particularly good job. A binder standing out in the weather on old stubble bore an air of reproof to its owner for so neglecting it. Wind, rain and sun work havoc with these machines. By a group of stacks I saw a. chaff-cutter standing mute. I expect it had been waiting there some time and hope that it does not have to wait much longer; farmers would all welcome a fortnight’s sunshine now. Two Diesel trucks, carrying lambs made me thoughtful of transport problems. Now if transport charges are “controlled,” what result may we expect? Will there not be a tendency for transport to stagnate, to carry on without eagerly adopting improvements; to get into a rut? Then charges will never come down and farmers will be paying out for inefficiency. That is a very real risk under “control.” Under a free economy competition will make for the highest degree of efficiency. New Zealand is following a dangerous road to-day in abandoning a free economy for State control. Tile Chilean Sawfly. It is now about 12 months since this bidi-bidi parasite fly was established by Dr. D. Millar, of the Cawthron Institute, Nelson. As Wanganui farmers had contributed substantially to the cost of importation, the first New Zealand colonies have been placed in the district. Some are up-river, others as far as 50 miles up the Parapara Road toward Raetihi. and some 20 miles to the north-west, at Brunswick. As yet the inexpert observer can see little, but Dr. Millar is reported to be well pleased at the way the colonies are doing. The past summer has been unfavourable, it is considered as their homeland, Chile, has a dry climate. Given a good summer, the files should increase rapidly. What results are possible may well be realised by those who know of the wonderful work done by the cactoblastis parasite in Queensland. The prickly r>ear cactus was overrunning that State, claiming 1,000.009 acres a year at the late stage of expansion. Land was covered with a veritable mass of cactus, eight or nine feet tall and quite impenetrable To-day. the pest is no longer feared. The insect ate it out. Seasonal Notes. In Wanganui I called on Mr. D. W .Lonsdale, agricultural instructor to the Department of Agriculture, and had an interesting talk. I was informed that feed was Plentiful in this district but that it was soft and lush much as in the Manawatu. The dairying season had been an excellent one. with out a high neak hut with production evenly and well maintained Reef cattle had done qii’te well but sun nier weather would have been wel come Wenners were In splendid ran dition to face the winter Ewes wore generallv in good order, hut lambs were suffering from the season Mr. Lonsdale spoke strongly of the desirability of feeding hay to weaner cattle under present conditions of feed and weather. They really need the ra-

tion of dry food, whether they he beef or dairy wenners During a discussion on cropping I learnt that Waimarino produces some of the highest quality chaff in the Dominion. It is splendid oat country, growing a short straw but with wellfilled heads, making quite a weighty crop.